Team fast improving, now 7 and 7

By Dean Wong

If post season awards were handed out this week, the Ballard Beavers girls basketball team would likely be named the most improved in KingCo.

The Beavers are 7 and 7 in league play and is in a solid position to make the playoffs for the second year in a row under Head Coach Karen Blair.

In recent weeks, the Beavers have defeated Redmond (55-47), Juanita (56-54) Bothell (47-37) and Lake Washington (72-65). Their latest win was against Woodinville last Friday, 55-48.

With only one senior in Leslie Ellingsen, youth was a concern on the team. The Beavers are now playing the way Blair envisioned when she took over the program.

"They are all getting more comfortable with their roles. They are communicating better and are playing better as a team," said Blair.

The Beavers have three players among the top 21 KingCo's scorers on their roster.

Junior forward Henna Saarinen who is averaging 11.7 points leads them. Junior point guard Kayla Williams is scoring 9.9 points and junior Evangeline Spracklin is averaging 9.4 points.

In the Juanita game, the Beavers had three players in double figures. Williams had 17, Saarinen 11 and junior forward Molly Magee 10.

Three double figure scorers helped beat the Redmond Mustangs on the road on Feb. 2. Saarinen's 12 points were complimented by Spracklin's 12 and junior forward Yordanos Kasahum's 10 points.

Magee is averaging 6.2 points and has not been overshadowed by her more offensive minded teammates.

"Magee has stepped up her play. She is shooting better and is our defensive stopper," said Blair.

Roosevelt was undefeated with a perfect 13 and 0 record, with Woodinville at 8 and 4 and Bothell at 7-6 in first through third place in the Mountain Division in front of Ballard as of last week.

The top two teams in KingCo's Mountain Division and Lake Division automatically make the playoffs. The next four who qualify do so on a point system. Each of their wins is multiplied by 1.93.

Last year, Ballard beat Redmond in the first round of the playoffs and then were eliminated by Roosevelt.

With the season winding down, the Beavers are peaking at the right time.

Blair said her players are learning to trust one another and they are feeding off that trust.

"They are grasping the concepts, understand how to play hard day in and day out," said Blair.